The present invention relates to a motor vehicle diagnostic system and more particularly pertains to recording relevant information concerning operation of a motor vehicle at the occurrence of an accident.
The use of vehicle recording devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, vehicle recording devices heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of storing historical information are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,024 to Riley, Jr. discloses an automobile recorder capable of storing information necessary for analyzing conditions prior to an accident. U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,357 to Hosaka discloses an operation recorder for use with a motor vehicle for recording the functions of a safety device, such as an airbag, in a collision. U.S. Pat. No. 5,847,661 to Ricci discloses a data acquisition capable of storing historical data, such as car and traffic conditions, that can be used as a black box in case of a collision. U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,401 to Groenewegen discloses a crash survivable enclosure used with various types of vehicles over land or water.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a motor vehicle diagnostic system for recording relevant information concerning operation of a motor vehicle at the occurrence of an accident.
In this respect, the motor vehicle diagnostic system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of recording relevant information concerning operation of a motor vehicle at the occurrence of an accident.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved motor vehicle diagnostic system which can be used for recording relevant information concerning operation of a motor vehicle at the occurrence of an accident. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.